This Promise
by DeadObsessedAnimaniac
Summary: After Chihiro and Haku made their promise, Chihiro goes on with her life, not fully recalling about the time she spent in Aburaya. Meeting new people as time goes on, can they help her recall the childhood promise? {full-summary inside}


A/N: I'm sorry for deleting my own story. I don't want to bore anybody any longer for my pitiful excuses as to why I did it. I didn't like how it's been so very slow so I'm making changes to move it a little faster. And it is most advisable to read all the way in the beginning, to the first sentences of the first chapter.

Thanks for reading.

Right now, I'm watching the DVD while writing and frequently have to turn around every so often to watch the movie. I also advise you not to try such a thing if you have a bad neck. Owyhee...Itai...

One more thing you MUST READ: SOME knowledge of the Japanese honourifics and their thing with putting family name first before first name.  
  
Ex:  
_ -san: _polite;  
_ -kun: _familiar male student/friend  
_ -sempai: _older student [translate: upperclassman]  
_ -chan: _familiar female student/friend  
_-sensei: _teacher  
  
Also, they don't always have middle or second names, but some families do that to be unique in their own way.

-Tokara  
  
_**Full Summary:**_ After Chihiro and Haku made their promise, Chihiro goes on with her life, not fully recalling about the time she spent in Aburaya. Meeting new people as time goes on; can they help her recall their childhood promise? Would Fate, Fortune and Luck cruel enouugh to crush their Destiny?

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN IT. DON'T SUE ME. Got that?**

Chapter 1: Chihiro's First Day of School — Part One

**[BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!]**

Ten-year old Ogino Chihiro got up from her bed groggy and a bit cranky from the aggravating noise of the alarm clock. With that, she smacked the 'snooze' and the 'off' button simultaneously, and then walked to the bathroom to get ready for her first day of school.

As she made her way to do so, she thought back to yesterdays' events when Haruka, nicknamed, Ruka, gave Chihiro a tour of the town along with her sister, Narumi, nicknamed, Rumi.  
  
**[flashback]**

_It was a bright new day for Chihiro as the sun entered her room. Her dreams still plagued her but she managed to sleep just floating past them. She awoke. Still in her pajamas, she got up, and went downstairs to eat her breakfast. She stopped. She realized something. Her parents weren't home. She found a note which confirmed her suspicions._

_"We went out to explore, we're with the Reishimotos, just us adults. The girls want you over their house. It's just next door. Be polite and ring the doorbell. Show them we are Oginos! Do not forget to honour our family name well!"_

_Hope you have a great time,  
  
-Mom and dad  
  
P.s.  
  
Sorry, You have to make your own breakfast."_

_She sighed. Her dad always took interest in the ancient ways. It was not so common around here anymore, not in a way it has been practiced in the olden times. Things were moving so fast._

_'I guess I have something to do after all, it beats sleeping all day,' Chihiro thought. She made her own breakfast, took a shower, and got dressed. She is wearing her usual red shorts, green and white stripe T-shirt then, putting her hair up with her sparkling amethyst hair-tie. Her favorite._

_Chihiro skipped over next door and rang the doorbell. The house, seemed fairly ordinary, on the outside. She didn't know what to expect inside. Voices on the other side were yelling rather loudly._

_"Hey, we got company! Get the door, Narumi!"_

_"Don't wanna! Digimon is coming on! You get it!"_

_"Digimon?! That show sucks, besides, it's only the commercials!"_

_"It does NOT suck! Matt's a bishounen (Japanese: what some may call a "hottie", more commonly a "drop-dead gorgeous" guy)! And you know it, Ruka!"_

_"That's what you said about Ash on Pokémon!"_

_"Just get the stupid door!"_

_"Fine!"_

_Chihiro sweatdropped and nearly backed away from the door thinking she got the wrong house. However, she saw the door open. She recognized the face as it opened. Haruka Reishimoto grinned as she ushered Chihiro to come in._

_"Welcome to our home!" she shouted, welcoming her._

_Haruka was dressed in white shorts, showing her shapely legs, and a red and blue striped shirt, "Hey, it's kinda boring in here, what do you say we go out? It's a nice day," asked Haruka. "You and Rumi meet me at the back. We're all going out. I'm feeling rather generous today so food's on me." she smiled and walked out of the door where Chihiro came in._

_Chihiro saw Narumi wearing capri-styled jeans and a green shirt, she said, "Let's go,"_

_Ruka, Chihiro and Rumi walked into a deserted area._ _Narumi left with Chihiro to meet Haruka out back. She saw Haruka with a helmet on, 2 extra ones and a motorcycle. She was grinning as was Haruka. They'll be in for a treat._

_"Wow, I didn't know you have a motorcycle," murmured Chihiro. "Do you know how to ride it?" she asked._

_"Course I know. I built this thing from scratch! Ok, maybe from an old trashed up one but I fixed it up and voila!" Haruka proudly bragged. "Get on!" She tossed their helmets and they all zoomed off._

_The day wore on as Narumi, Haruka, and Chihiro spent their day zooming around town. Haruka received a few looks for her legs but nothing more than that. While zooming around they saw the sights and places of the town, and enjoyed it all, especially Chihiro. They went to a stop when they approached a statue near a park, past the familiar building where Narumi and Haruka were the other night._

_Chihiro wondered, "Why did we stop here?" she asked them.  
  
Narumi answered, "Just something we wanna show you,"_

_"This place here, there used to be a river," Haruka pointed out. She continued, "It was called the Nighiyami River. And in the other side of town is a river too, called the Kohaku River. Nighiyami stretched quite a long way, up to where you moved from I think. People came from all over to this river; I guess it is because of the story. A 'mere'," she quoted with her fingers, "legend. In my opinion, it's just a story. Not much magic or anything like that."_

_Narumi sadly nodded but brightened up, "You know, before places were built, scientists studied the ground here to make sure it's okay to build anything. They found that the soil doesn't show any sign that it used to be a river. They're wrong but they won't believe it. There used to be a river here. If you come here on the hottest day of the summer heat wave, if you are lucky, you could probably see small puddles of water or even a little trail of it, underneath that statue over there," she pointed to a statue near a park, she dropped her voice to a whisper, "and when you do, even the smallest sip of it, drink the water from the ground, make a wish and it will come true."_

"_Hey!" _

_Tthey heard a yell from a young boy as he ran toward them in a sprint. He stopped and was panting for air. He was tall, had brown hair and grey eyes, and had a somewhat lean build, muscular, but not very bulky.  
  
"Hey Ruka, haven't seen you in a while. How's it going?" he said cheerfully grinning. He had a rich, tenor voice.  
  
"Katsu-kun, how nice to see you," Ruka flatly replied. "Chihiro, this is Ikago Katsuharu. Katsu-kun, this is Chihiro. She is going to be in the same class as Rumi at our school. And she's new around here. There, I've done my bit of intro." She added.  
  
Katsu and Chihiro shared their small introductions. Chihiro asked, "Katsu- sempai, you and Ruka-chan are close friends ne?"  
  
Katsu winked, "Real close, eh Ruka?" and blew a kiss at her way. She reddened and crossed her arms. "Stop embarrassing yourself. What are you doing here and what do you want anyway?"  
  
"Nothing really. Can't a guy say 'hi' to a lovely lady such as you?" Katsu smiled, showing his pearly whites.  
  
Ruka made a derisive noise and in the same dead-panned voice, "Lovely lady?! Hah! In your cracked dreams, you wish it were more than that!"  
  
"Aw, Ruka-chan, you know you love me!"  
  
"I do not."  
  
"Do too." "Do not"  
  
"So true."  
  
"So false."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"Do so."  
  
As the two continued to bicker like an old married couple, Chihiro and Rumi anime-sweatdropped and Rumi brought Chihiro away from them. "Haruka-neesan doesn't want to admit it, but she has it bad for him, as in... head over hills. She just tries so hard to get over it and it's putting her into a brink of insanity." She whispered.  
  
"It doesn't look it, she seems calm and controlled," said Chihiro.  
  
"Look closer, she's going pink to almost red," Rumi pointed out. "Anyway, this is getting boring and I'm getting hungry so let's break 'em up, shall we?" she walked up to the two and tapped one of them on the shoulder.  
  
"Why can't you just admit that you like me even, I'm not that bad aren't I?"  
  
"Katsu, you can be very very very annoying when it comes to those things. I assure you---  
  
Rumi sighed in defeat. With her fingers, she whistled loudly and yelled, "Break it up! I'm hungry and cranky and I wanna go home NOW!!!!! Ruka, finish your banter with your boyfriend tomorrow when you're alone and let's go home!"  
  
Chihiro was shocked at the volume of her voice and its effect on to whom it directed to that she covered her ears. Ruka and Katsu stopped arguing and shrugged their shoulders.  
  
"Later, Katsu-kun."  
  
"See ya, Ruka-chan"  
  
The trio got on the motorcycle and silently went back to the town. Katsu ran back to where he came from and got on his bicycle before he waved goodbye to his guy-friends he met. Along the way, he saw the trio on their way and especially glanced at Ruka who looked straight ahead then to his way and nodded, acknowledging him._

**[End flashback]**

' **_No matter what those two say, anyone would think they're gonna get married or something.' _**She checked herself upon the mirror of her room. **_'Hmm, I look alright...'_** she sighed, **_'I hate being the "new kid"'._**

She arrived at her school. It was big. And blue? She looked down at her uniform. No wonder. She walked up the building, not knowing what to expect only to find Narumi, her first friend since they moved in next to her house, with her circle of friends. More like in a triangle as there Narumi was with two people.

"Morning, Chihiro-chan, you're quite early ne?" waved Rumi and turned and made the introductions to her two friends. One was a girl clad in the school uniform with short, cropped jet-black hair with some bangs on the front in layers. She had a slightly slender build, and medium height with a face that could break many hearts within adolescence and even more so into adulthood. She had blue eyes from the heritage of her European side, and almond-shaped eyes from her Asian side which gave her a look of a fragile china doll. Her name was Haraguna Anna Teresa. She nodded a bow towards Chihiro's direction and gave her a small genuine smile.

"Ogino-san? You live at that blue house on the end of the block, ne? I live in the green one on the end at the next block," she said. She had a very soft voice yet firm enough to know that she was not one to be deceived despite her fragile looks. "I'll see you around." she waved then walked away from the group.

Rumi's next friend was a boy. He was medium height, a little lanky with blond-white platinum hair that nearly allowed him to pass as an albino if it were not for his skin. It was darker than an average albino; a darker golden brown. His eyes were dark brown yet hold a certain sparkle no one could possibly miss.

"Chihiro-san, Nice to meet you," he bowed. He took a good look at her, then winked and said,

"Hey, you're cute, will you be my girlfriend?"

Chihiro blushed in embarrassment in the awkward moment for his bold words, "Uhm..." was all she could utter. **_"Me? Cute? Girlfriend?! I'm not even old enough to get another piercing on one of my ears, and I'm asked to be somebody's girlfriend?! What's going on? I'm only ten!!" _**.

Rumi turned red in annoyance and smacked the near-albino in the head with her hand, emitting a resounding slap throughout the hall.

"HIERO-KUN YOU BAKA-YARO _(Japanese: stupid idiotic bastard; very offensive thing to call somebody)_!!!!**" **roared Rumi. "Do you have to do that to about every girl you meet?! You know better than to do that! Wanna know why? You're foolin' yourself, that's why!" her voice came at an unusually high volume as she came at a near nose-to-nose distance between her and the shaking boy by every word. She massaged her temples and muttered, "As if any girl in her right mind would want to be your girlfriend, next thing I hear you'll say, "Will you bear my child?" like Miroku from Inuyasha."

**_"Oh boy, another Haruka and Katsu episode from yesterday, what's with these people and this ' love is in the air'?! .... all that stinking mushy romance... yuck...ughh..!" _**Chihiro thought while her eyes turned to dots.

Seno Hiero Chiyo flinched by Rumi's outburst that he fell over anime-style and then got up anime-style, and started lashing back.  
"RUMI-CHAN IF YOU'D KNOW ME BY NOW, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A REGULAR DAY-TO-DAY THING THAT 6TH GRADE BOYS DO! "

Rumi snorted, "Indeed, embarrassing yourself around girls," she said sarcastically.

Hiero continued, "Getting to know the opposite sex, duh."

"By embarrassing yourself around them."

"You're missing the point!"

"What point?"

"Changes!"

Rumi's eyes turned into dots then sweat-dropped as she sighed. "Whatever." She made a gesture of putting her elbow out. "Talk to the elbow, 'coz you ain't worth the hand!".  
Hiero turned his attention to Chihiro. "As you can't help but overhear from this loudmouth here, you can call me Hiero, pronounced: HIE-YEH-ROH. My full name: Seno Hiero Sei. So, tell me a bit about yourself Ogino-san."

Chihiro turned to Rumi in a slight hesitation from shyness and being flustered.

"Go on. He's your friend as well as mine. A bit of an idiot, but keh, what can you do?" she smiled.

"Hey!"

They laughed. Chihiro asked, "Hiero-kun, why do you seem to be so obsessed in being a regular 6th grade boy by asking girls to be your girlfriend?"

Hiero chuckled and like an old man assuring a child that babies came from storks, he said, "Chihiro, Chihiro.....my dear lady friend, in a world like today, changes are everywhere, but some things never change. For one thing, we are in 6th grade. Next year, will be in 7th grade, one year away to being a freshman in junior where we will continue to grow and mature in so many levels. For myself, I will become a man, and a chick-magnet. Such changes are everywhere and I must prepare for it, and blah blah blah blah blah...................." he looked around only to find his friends have left him.

Rumi saw their classroom open, and ushered Chihiro to go inside. They sat in random desks, relieved to get away from the chattering boy.

Hiero ran to catch up to them into the open classroom and continued his speech as if nothing happened, "So basically it's a guy thing.". He crossed his arms, looking all smug and important.

Rumi sighed in exasperation.

The bell rang.

Chihiro sighed in relief. By then, before a minute would gear into ringing the bell for class, the slackers and laziest managed to be on time as they all made their way into their seats.

Class has started.

* * *

Another A/N: I finally post something ! What a miracle! The progress of this story is very well...inconsistent. Something one can't expect much because it's so slow. Plus, I re-read my previous chapters...ok, I skimmed it. And I'm here thinking, "I actually wrote this?! Holy crap, I kinda suck at this, don't I? Maybe I oughta quit. I can't believe some people were kind enough to review..." So reviewers of past and whenever time, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! And I am sorry for deleting!! Forgive me!!

Also, I did revise, and rewrite a bit.  
  
Current muse: Miyazaki-sama's movie, "Spirited Away". Judging by how long this is, and how much I've written, it is so handy. Too bad since school's coming back, I can't update as much.

Lesson: Don't expect quick updates from an author like me, who struggles to combat everyday life just like other authors do, and make time to write fanfics like these for relief.

I honestly praise authors who update quick.

Lesson #2: It never hurts to beg, only when you do it nicely and politely.

Please review if you like.

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